Bubble cap assembly



April 3, 1951 H. c. GLITSCH 2,547,334

BUBBLE CAP ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1947 27 3.? 33 g 39 /5 V Z6 3/ Jwucnibl Hans C 67/2sc/7 'IIIIIIIIMflII Patented Apr. 3, 1951 BUBBLE CAP ASSEMBLY Hans C. Glitsch, Dallas, Tex., assignor to Glitsch Engineering Company, Dallas, Tex., a partnership Application October 1, 1947, Serial No. 777,144

2 Claims.

' This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bubble cap assemblies.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved bubble cap assembly for use in refining vessels having a removable riser and bubble cap together with novel means for securing the same 'in position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bubble cap assembly having means for removably securing its riser in position with its bubble cap removably fastened to the riser whereby the assembly maybe removed as a unit or the cap may be removed independently of said riser.

'A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved bubble cap assembly having cap supporting means formed on its riser with means carried by the cap for coacting with the supporting means for removably and frictionally latching said cap to the riser. I

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved bubble cap assembly having 'novelcap mounting means which includes a pair of coacting fastening elements, one carried by the cap and the other by the riser and adapted to frictionally secure the same together, one of theelements beingof sufficient flexibility as to be distortable into locking position upon full engagement of said elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved bubble cap assembly, of the character described, wherein a bayonet element depends from the cap for frictionally engaging a slotted plate element supported by th riser,

said cap and plate element having coacting means for locking the elements against accidental disconnection. r y A construction designed to carry out theinvention will be hereinafter described together with other features "of the" invention. a The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein: r

Fig. 1 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view of a bubble cap assembly constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a View, similar to and taken at a right angle to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan iew of oneof the fastening elements,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the bubble cap, with a portion broken away to show its fastening element.

In the drawing, the numeral m designates one of the tray floors or decks of a refining vessel (not shown) which deck has a plurality of conventional vapor or riser openings 5 2 formed therein. Each opening I l is preferably circular and the margin thereof is turned. or swaged upwardly to provide a peripheral flange 12. A bub ble cap assembly [3 is provided for each opening and includes an upright riser l4 overlying and encircling the opening with a bubble cap 15 mounted upon its upper end. The riser I4 is in the form of 'a short tubular body or collar having its lower end swaged or belled outwardly to pro-- vide an external offset or enlargement I6 and a radial flange I! of such diameter as to snugly engage the flange l2 and form a fluid-tight seal therewith. I I

For securing the riser in place, a transverse member or cross bar 3 extends diametrically across the lower end of said riser above the "enlarge'ment [6. The cross bar l8 has its end portions or tongues l9 engaging within opposed, up-

right slots or elongated openings 26 formed in. the riser, the extremities of the tongues being. swaged or otherwise deformed so as to close the slots and lock said cross bar to said riser. A lateral projection or leg 2! depends from the incdial portion of the lower longitudinal edge of the cross bar and projects through and belowth'e:

riser opening II. The lower projecting portion of the leg 24 has a vertical slot 22 formed therein for receiving a transverse, tapered wedge member 23 which is of such length as to extend across the riser opening and frictionally engage .the.

marginal portion of the underside of the deck surrounding said opening.

frictional fastening means which secures the riser in overlying relation to its opening andv draws the lower end of said riser into fluid-tight sealing engagement with the flange 12. A notch 24 may be provided in each longitudinal edge portion of the wedge member adjacent its large end to facilitate removal thereof.

A plurality of upright supports or arms 25 project above the upper end of the riser for supporting the cap id in spaced relation thereto.

Manifestly, the leg.v and wedge member form coacting elements of 25 and are bent outwardly upon themselves to fasten said plate thereto (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). The plate is of a size less than the external diameter of the riser and is approximately triangular in shape when three supporting arms are used, as illustrated herein. An elongated, substantially Z-shaped slot 28 is formed in the plate for receiving a bayonet element or key which depends from the cap. The medial portion of the slot 28 is notched or relieved as shown by the numeral 38 to permit limited turning of the key 29 and cap relative to the plate and riser. The notches 39 also function as stops to limit rotation of the key.

The bubble cap is of a diameter considerably larger than the diameter of the riser and has a depending annular skirt 3i which surrounds said riser in spaced concentric relation. vents or openings 32 are formed in the lower portion of the skirt and the lower end oi": the latter is spaced from the deck 58. An upstanding tongue or lug 33 is formed on the key 223 and projects through the top of the cap, the projecting extremity of the lug being bifurcated or split with the split portions thereof being bent upon themselves in opposite directions so as to overlie said cap top. As is most clearly shown in Fig. 5, the lower portion of the lug 33 is or" increased width to provide opposed shoulders for engaging the underside of the cap top. The key is of substantially flat, rectangular shape and has a tapered, pointed lower edge portion 25 which facilitates its insertion in the z-slot 28 of the plate 25. An ear or lug 35, having a rounded or bevelled upper edge portion 33, extends at a right angle from each end of the key at its upper edge portion for frictionally engaging the underside of the plate. The ears 3% extend from the key in opposite directions so as to be insertable through the oppositely-disposed legs or portions 38 of the Z-slot. Since the curved edge portions 3? of the ears project above the key, the plate is distorted orflexed upwardly by the engagement of said ears to frictionally lock the cap to the riser when said key is inserted in the Z-slot and turned relative thereto. As pointed hereinbefore, the notches til of the slot coact with the lateral sides of the lug shoulders 34 to limit such relative rotation. If desired, a pair of projections in the form of dimples 39 may depend from the top of the cap in the path of the ends 21 of the riser arms 25 to prevent accidental rotation and disconnection of said cap. The dimples 39 are diametrically-opposed whereby one of the same is positioned contiguous to and clockwise of one of the riser arm ends 3'! (Fig. 4) when the key is engaged with the lock.

From the foregoirn it is readily apparent that a bubble cap assembly of novel construction has been provided. The riser is removably secured in position and the cap is removably fastened to said riser, whereby the elements of the assembly may be installed and removed as a unit or separately. Due to the frictional engagement of the Suitable I key with the plate and the flexing of said plate,

the cap is securely fastened against displacement. Additional fastening or locking means is provided by the coaction of either cap projection with the end of one of the riser arms which necessitate the use offorce in turning the key into or out of frictional locking engagement with the plate.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a deck having an opening therein of a bubble cap assembly in cluding, a riser collar engaging the deck in overlying surrounding relation to the opening, a bubble cap mounted on the collar, a flat cross bar secured to the lower portion. or" said collar and extending in a substantially diametric plane;

the cross bar having a slotted depending portion extending axially through the deck opening, and a wedge member extending through the axial slotted portion of the cross bar and engaging beneath opposite sides of the marginal edge por-' tion of the deck surrounding said opening for drawing said collar into tight engagement with the upper surface of said deck.

2. The combination with a deck having an opening therein of a bubble cap assembly in cluding, a riser collar engaging the deck in overlying surrounding relation to the opening, a bubble cap mounted upon the collar, fastening means carried by said collar and coacting with the underlying marginal edge portion of the deck surrounding said opening for securing said collar in position, the fastening means including a substantially diametric membersecured to the lower portion of said collar and having a central depending portion extending through said opening with an opening formed therein below said deck axially of said collar, and a wedge member extending through the opening or the. depending member portion and engaging beneath opposite sides of said marginal edge portion of deck surrounding said opening.

HANS c. GLITSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,873,137 Laird Aug. 23, 1932 1,965,549 Holmes July 3, 1934 2 ,084,726 Duey June 22, 1937 2,338,928 Glitsch Jan. 11, 1944 2,398,953 OBrien Apr. 23, 1946 2,480,862 Johnson Sept. 6, 1949 

